Thursday, October 08, 2009

Yesterday I went out to Walmart at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza Mall in Los Angeles and bought the new KISS album, Sonic Boom — their first new CD in 11 years. I brought along Steve from Dharma Zen Center who said that malls are soul-destroying places. It’s true. In the hour or so I spent in the mall it was like I could feel my soul being slowly eroded. And I don’t even believe in souls! What is it about places like that? It’s sad that so many people spend so much of their time in those vacuum packed hell holes. They make me feel physically ill.

But you do what you have to do. KISS has some kind of a special deal with Walmart and the album is available there in an exclusive edition that includes a bonus CD of re-recordings of some of the band’s classic hits plus a six-song DVD of a recent live show in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I couldn’t pass that up.

First off, as every reviewer who has written about the CD has already said, this is a far better record than the previous KISS album, 1998’s Psycho Circus — their so-called reunion record, although it was later revealed that lead guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss had contributed very little to it. Even die-hard KISS fans like me had trouble getting behind that one. Yet in retrospect Psycho Circus isn’t really that bad. It was more a victim of unreasonably high expectations. But Revenge was better…

This new one, though, is amazing. It’s vintage 1978 KISS in 2009. The opening track, Modern Day Delilah rocks as hard as anything the band recorded in their prime. You could have told me Danger Us was an outtake from 1976’s Rock And Roll Over and I would’ve believed it. I’m An Animal is what heavy metal is all about, based on a pulverizing Black Sabbath type riff the likes of which Gene Simmons hasn’t pulled off since Unholy on 1992’s Revenge. Never Enough is one of those fist pumping Paul Stanley anthems, even though the verse melody seems to be subtly lifted from Ozzy’s Flying High Again. Hot And Cold reminds me of The Who and somehow there’s no irony in 60 year-old Gene Simmons telling us “if it’s too loud you’re too old.”

Throughout the record, lead guitarist Tommy Thayer does Ace Frehley better than Ace ever did. Though this fits the album, I was hoping to hear a little of the guitarist’s own personal style rather than his mastery of Ace’s licks. I kept thinking of the stories of the session guitarists who filled in for Ace when he was too wasted to rock in the late Seventies and were told not to play anything Ace couldn’t have done. Sounds like founding members bassist Gene Simmons and rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley told Tommy the same thing. Still, it works and Tommy’s own composition When Lightning Strikes is as fine an example of vintage KISS as any of Paul or Gene's contributions, even if the title seems deliberately reminiscent of Ace's Shock Me.

My only complaint about the album is that it lacks one of the ingredients that always made the old KISS records so special to me, namely that one weird, experimental track they always managed to include. There’s nothing on here to compare to the mad ballad Goin’ Blind from 1974’s Hotter Than Hell, the heavy metal jungle chant Almost Human from 1977’s Love Gun, the weird Ventures-on-Quaaludes instrumental Love Theme From KISS from their debut album or even their mega-hit ballad Beth from 1976’s Destroyer, which is a pretty odd song when you actually listen to it. There are no bizarre covers like their Ramones-style reading of The Dave Clark Five’s Any Way You Want It from Alive II or their heavy metal masacre of Phil Spector’s (via The Ronettes) Then He Kissed Me (re-titled Then She Kissed Me so as not to scare off homophobic metal heads) also from Love Gun.

Oh Gene Simmons’ perverted poetry still sounds like Spinal Tap (“Flip a coin is it heads or tails tonight?” from Yes I Know, “Feel my tower of power” from Hot And Cold). But then again Simmons was doing that long before Christopher Guest and Michael McKean ever came up with the idea of Spinal Tap. And I wonder if the album will stand the test of time or if I’m just over-excited at getting to hear a brand new KISS record after so many years. The latter question is impossible to answer yet. But it sure sounds good right now.

As for the bonuses, the CD of re-recorded KISS Klassics (that’s how it’s spelled on the label) was available in Japan as a stand-alone CD a year ago. I didn’t buy it then because I thought the whole idea was pretty pointless, except to Gene and Paul who would stand to make more money from the new recordings than from reissues of the older versions. It reminded me too much of Joey Molland, the sole-surviving member of Badfinger, who issued a CD of newly recorded versions of his old band’s greatest hits for similar reasons. At least in Molland’s case he probably legitimately needed the money whereas Simmons and Stanley scarcely have that problem.

Still, it’s not half bad. The remakes of Deuce and Black Diamond rock harder than the tinny sounding versions on their first record (though that tinny sound was massively fixed up on the late 90’s remastered CD). Detroit Rock City and the two other selections from Destroyer lack Bob Ezrin’s masterful production work, but manage to sound OK anyhow. Yet while Tommy Thayer is terrific at mimicking Ace Frehley’s guitar style, he’s less convincing when he takes on Bruce Kulick’s solo from Forever or even Vinnie Vincent’s break in Lick It Up. The biggest disappointment, though, is the new version of Christine Sixteen. Yeah, I know, it was kinda creepy even in 1977 to hear a 28-year old Gene Simmons salivate over a high school girl. He must have been mortified to go through that leering spoken-word section in the middle of the song (“I don’t usually say things like this to girls your age, but when I saw you coming out of school that day I knew I got to have you”) again at age 59 with a 16-year old daughter of his own back home and it shows. But who cares? It’s just a song, dammit. Stay in character! Overall, though, I like having these new versions. Still, I’m glad I didn’t waste my money on the stand-alone Japanese CD.

The DVD on the other hand is a superb document to the power and glory that still is a KISS concert even without two of the band’s original members. Truth be told, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer play those songs more convincingly than Ace Frehley and Peter Criss probably could these days anyway. A version of KISS that’s half KISS tribute band actually kind of makes sense. I hope I can still rock out like Gene and Paul when I’m 60! Especially since the audience seems just on the verge of rioting the entire time. It’s fun to hear the band launch into impromptu versions of Guantanamera and Una Paloma Blanca. Weird little jokey bits like this are one of my favorite parts of any KISS concert (I saw them do a few Baatles numbers in Japan once as well as bits of Stairway to Heaven) and they’re usually edited out when the shows turn up on official video releases. I just wish they’d included the whole concert instead of only six songs. But the rumor mill has it that the band plans to release a set of DVDs from their recent Alive 35 tours. I guess I’ll have to wait or else buy a bunch of high priced bootlegs of those shows next time I get to Tokyo.

Overall this is as tremendous a package as any KISS fan could hope for and I’m glad to have it! Rock and roll all night, baby!

I only now, in reading this post, realized that the Replacements' song 'Black Diamond' on Let It Be was a Kiss cover. I mean, it sounded like it was the "that one weird, experimental track" on the album, probably a cover, but I didn't know enough about Kiss in 1984.

Brad: To be honest, I dislike Kiss. Don't care about comic books anymore. Have no need to collect records or CDs. Not interested in your sex life. Movie monsters bore me. I Think punk rock was mostly bad. I quit being interested in Star Trek around age 20.

You do and should write about anything that interests you. I am not so eclectic.

I still remember my first KISS concert clearly. I was 16, it was 1975 and we drove 150 miles to see Styx perform. Kiss opened for them. Kiss had no real hits and one album at the time, I believe. I was only familiar with their song "Nothing to Lose". But we really went only to see Styx. Their hit song "Lady" had just come out.

Before the show my friend & I scored some powdered THC (that's what they called it at the time)...which turned out to be cornmeal. Then Kiss came on stage. Wow! I had no idea that their music was that good but the show they put on! I'd never seen anything remotely like it before. The energy and explosions. The way they jumped up and down while they played was amazing. Though I enjoyed the Styx concert, I became an instant Kiss fan then and there.

My wife and I went with her sister and her husband to a Kiss concert a few years ago and I still loved to see & hear them play. My wife watches that Gene Simmons show religiously.

Malls are pretty much what you make of them, aren't they? They don't need to be 'soul destroying'. For my parents (in their 80s), the Clearwater Mall in Florida is a place to walk when it's too hot to walk outside, to sit and watch people pass by, to have a cup of coffee or lunch out. Sometimes they even go there because there's something they need to buy at one of the shops.

Hi everyone! I use to post on here as Lone Wolf when this blog first started. I still come to this site and read the blogs though I don't comment much anymore, though I still enjoy Brad's posts and his books.

I felt propelled to add my two cents on the whole compassion/contentious selfishness topic.

I do think people can be too helpful and cause more problems by trying to help. Chogyam Trungpa called this idiot compassion. When developing compassion, one shouldn't neglect wisdom. I also agree with Brad in that one should focus on taking care of one' self and at least not be a burden to others. By at least taking care of oneself, you benefit others. You can be a good example of how to live a joyful constructive life.

For me, it's all about balance. Some people are selfish to the point of hurting others. Some people are so giving to other that they hurt themselves.

I've recently switched my major to Psychology. In Personality Psych, we are studying about Alfred Adler. Adler believed people should strive for superiority. His idea of superiority doesn't mean to screw other people for self gain, but to become ones best in relation with social interest. To think win win rather than I win. Adler considered this style of life constructive. He considered the dog eat dog style of life deconstructive.

Dr. Babara Fredrickson, a top researcher in the field of Positive Psychology (Psychology that focuses on optimal mental health rather than just mental illness) has discovered, based on sound scientific research, that positive emotions, such as compassion, expand the mind and spark creativity and allow people to think in more terms of we than me. However, she says trying to force positive emotions (compassion in this case) can be detrimental and lead to "toxic insincerity." She says it's better to create a light mindset of compassion. I have experienced this directly.

I practice Zazen as well as some Tibetan meditation practices. I find they compliment each other. When doing a meditation on compassion, if I strain my mind to hard it becomes agitated. But if I relax in that empty awarness and lightly develop a caring for other, or a wish for all being (including myself) to be happy and free from suffering then it becomes useful and constructive for everyday life.

Neuroscience has shown the benefits of training the mind in compassion when conducting test on people like Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche who have put in thousands of hours of meditation on compassion. They put him in a fMRI (much more powerful than an MRI) to see what happens when he meditates. They ask him to rest. Then ask him to meditate on compassion. The gama lines on the computer screen go off the chart compared to people that do the meditation without any hours under there belt. Plus, the test shows he has more activity in his left frontal lobe than people without such training. The left frontal lobe is connected with positive emotions and contentment.

Zazen is extremely helpful as well in creating balance. Even in Tibetan practices, you have a completion stage where everything dissolves and just sit without cultivating thoughts. But a 30 to 45 min session of Zazen is quite beneficial for me. So I do a session of Chenrezi (kanon) practice and try a session of goaless zazen each day (though I often fail to do this). It also gives allows me to pray so to speak which I think is helpful. Even Tibetan practices should be free of expectations and when unique experiences happen one should not pay them much attention.

As far as the sex, I have experienced what Brad is talking about. When I think to much about please the girl, I tend to become sloppy and mess things up. If I don't think to much and focus on my own pleasure, I have sensed the girls heightened pleasure as well. Because I have sensed the girls pleasure while focusing on my own pleasure. I have obviously to some degree transcended self and other.

I'm not advocating my way of practice but simply explaining what works for me.

If interested in the Buddhism/Neuroscience studies, check out this You Tube video presented by Dan Rather on Mind Science.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkXtz72hjDI

I'm extremely interested in the link between Buddhism and Science. (Brad- Did you ever get the results back from your neuroscience testings?) Buddha told his followers not to take his word for it but to test the teaches themselves until they experienced directly the truth of it. The cushion is just a laboratory for testing Buddhist philosophy. Buddhism should never be dogmatic or excepted through blind faith. There are many concepts in Tibetan and Zen buddhism that I don't fully understand or think is bullshit that I said aside while applying what is useful.

Ummmm, what's the deal with Loori rotting in hell?I've actually heard Brad praise him in the past. The only issue I've ever seen or heard him take with Loori is that Loori endorses Big Mind, but that's what happen when you feel you owe someone for your transmission...

Here's the obituary for Daido Loori from the local paper. I met him twice. He struck me as a very smart, sharp guy, and I don't mean that in a bad way. He set up a successful Zen monastery and I think he deserves some praise for that.

Dogen compiled a collection of 300 koans and Daido Loori translated it as if it were a Rinzai koan collection. Brad criticized the translation, which was the only bad thing I remember him saying about Daido. I think the criticism reflects the difference between the Soto way of interpreting Dogen and Daido's Sanbo Kyodan tradition.

I think it was Bernie Glassman who has supported Genpo Merzel and not Daido, but my memory could be tricking me. The heirs of Mazeumi Roshi seem to be all over the map in their approach to Zen. Daido Loori struck me as being the most traditional.

I don't hate Daido Loori. I do not wish he would rot in Hell. I was never a huge fan of his work. Nor was I a huge hater of it. I was mainly indifferent, except for the item Jinzang mentioned, which was a rather minor thing.

I'd feel a bit phony putting up an obituary just because he was a popular Zen guy even though I hardly know a thing about him. Besides there are already plenty of obits. Why another from me?

It's sad when someone well-loved dies. Lots of people must be sad right now. What more can I say than that?

For the most part, my reading of some his work never really clicked with me, with one minor exception. One of his students during an "examination" ( sorry I don't know the formal name for it) in a moment of apparent frustration he asked Mr. Loori whether he cared at all.

I saw KISS on Letterman's show a few nights ago, and yeah, Modern Day Delilah was surprisingly kick-ass. I was also surprised to see all the original members back together again--but your blog post implies that Frehley and Criss are not back on board. After some googling, I discovered that the "new guys" wear the same makeup as Frehley and Criss wore, which explains my confusion. Yeah, obviously I'm not a huge follower of KISS.

Hey I said it before and i'll say it again--IF, and its a big IF, Jundo was attacked by someone from Brad's sangha/people affiliated with Brad, and Brad did not stand up against that shit--he can go fuck himself and i swear i'll never buy another thing or read another thing he writes (thats the biggest impact i could have).

But, dude, you've given NO proof and even Jundo hasnt admitted this shit ever occurred. So what do you want from us in the comments section? Go get us some evidence, get Jundo to admit something actually happened!!!

I was visiting the mountains of NC this weekend, and couldn't help myself, BUT....I took the four copies of "Anomaly" and stuck 'em in the Official Kiss Korner of the Asheville Wal-Mart. Hopefully some Kiss fans who are unaware of Ace's new masterpiece will take notice and pick up a copy.

I like the new CD, but I ABSOLUTLY loved, and still LOVE "Psycho Circus" and "Carnival of Souls". Kiss music....that's REAL dharma.

Daido gets a reprieve this time. Maybe he wisely told them to take his name off the list of supporters. Although I wouldn’t give too much credit to the guy who wrote the very worst book ever written in the history of books about Dogen (the reprehensible "True Dharma Eye," may every copy burn in Hell).

Jamal..(...OK...YEAH..Whatever..) Long time, no hear. Hope you are doing well too.

Oh, and for the dude that mentioned Ayn Rand on one of Brad's last BLOGS, we totally destroyed her philosophy of militant selfishness (oh, excuse me, "Objectivism") long ago on this BLOG. But you will have to dig it up. I'm no longer the "Hardcore Zen" archiver I was before.

I think that if one wants to be a Buddhist, one should study very hard and do all that is necessary to fill the requirements needed for the badge or ID card or bragging rights or whatever. I never try to follow any rules, I don't refrain from baking babies in my oven because it's illegal. I don't not rape the teenaged girl down the road because if I did I could get caught and go to jail.

There is no reason for compassion. It isn't feeling or action based upon theory or abstract reasoning. It arises naturally when we 'wake up'. It is a spontaneous functioning of our true nature itself.

A woman has lost all feeling in her left hand. She has come to see it as a foreign thing that follows her around. (we have to assume some degree of insanity in these analogies...since according to the buddha, we are all slightly insane in a very specific way.)

She's watching tv and eating potato chips and notices that her left hand has fallen into the fireplace. Ha! Ha! Look at that stupid hand. It's fallen into the fire again. She doesn't see it as her concern..it is an 'other'. Someone may come along and tell her that the left hand is really hers and that any and all harm that befalls it is harm that comes to herself. She may reject this 'teaching' as mystical gibberish and ignore it. "why should I pull that stupid hand out of the fire...what's it to me?' Or she may embrace this new belief that 'I am One with the left hand'.

Still, it is only an abstract idea. This is like the person that believes we are all one, but has no insight or understanding of what this means. Then a doctor comes along and performs an operation that restores the feeling in her left hand. This operation is like awakening or enlightenment. Now she 'really' understands that the left hand IS her hand. It's not a theory or a conclusion based upon some abstraction. Now when her hand falls into the fireplace she instantly 'rescues' it. She directly understands that the harm that befalls this hand is harm to her. The pain that 'it' feels is her pain. She needs no reward to keep it healthy and free of pain. She needs no motivation of an abstract idea. The left hand is no longer seen as 'other'. She realizes that it really never was other.

I've always been a clown, I crave attention and I'm good at getting it. In real life I'm the life of the party whenever there's a party. Every party needs one.Here I poke and prod and fart real loud and do my best to stir the pot so I won't get bored. It's good to know I'm appreciated, I'm insecure enough to need to know that.

I just listened to this talk by Barry Magid a Zen teacher and Psychoanalyst who studied with Charlotte Joko Beck. The talks about why Zen practioners or teachers who have spent many hours on the cushion and may even had the experience of "kensho" can still, basically, fuck up. He speaks about what Zazen practice cannot do. One thing I do like about Brad's style of teaching is that he does his damnedest to be honest about his own mistakes when many teachers do their damnedest to maintain a mistake free persona. Magid also goes into the perfection persona and using Mazumei Roshi's sex scandals and heavy drinking as an example of how a great Zen teacher can still have emotional and psychological issues. This might help tone down some of the drama that goes on here... or not. Regardless, it's just a real interesting talk.

In the minutes I spent reading over this blog it was like I could feel my soul being slowly eroded. It make me feel physically ill. It was one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever read. At no point in the rambling, incoherent comments was there anything even close to a rational thought. Everyone who took the time to read them is now dumber for having done so.

'Disrespect the Teacher' competitions are a waste of time. I'm unclear whether these are carried out by the teachers themselves, their friends, fans or families, or by people who don't really know them but are just full of opinions and/or have some kind of keyboard Tourettes. Probably all of the above. How do you know who's got the truth? It's a kind of balance between keeping an open mind and looking around, and on the other hand sticking to a practice for long enough that it might have a chance of working. Will you find the truth by compiling a list of people who haven't got the truth? As there are billions of people out there probably not. Will you meet your need to convince yourself that you are on the right track? Maybe. Anyone else like the King Crimson track Elephant Talk?

Talk, its only talkArguments, agreements, advice, answers,Articulate announcementsIts only talk

Well Alan_A, maybe you should not be looking for a Zen community on the internet.

re: John Daido Loori, I liked his "Zen & Creativity" book. I think my composition teacher studied zen with him (I wasn't interested in zen when I was studying with him and he didn't talk about it much). Gary Peacock was a student of his as well. Gary Peacock is one of my main musical inspirations. I'm sad for their loss.

"In the minutes I spent reading over this blog it was like I could feel my soul being slowly eroded. It make me feel physically ill. It was one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever read. At no point in the rambling, incoherent comments was there anything even close to a rational thought. Everyone who took the time to read them is now dumber for having done so."

As opposed to your enlightening observation? You've just joined the club with your completely pointless observation.

"In the minutes I spent reading over this blog it was like I could feel my soul being slowly eroded. It made me feel physically ill. It was one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever read. At no point in the rambling, incoherent comments was there anything even close to a rational thought. Everyone who took the time to read them is now dumber for having done so."

Far from being a pointless observation, it is the HCZB experience in a nutshell..

Well Alan_A, maybe you should not be looking for a Zen community on the internet.

re: John Daido Loori, I liked his "Zen & Creativity" book. I think my composition teacher studied zen with him (I wasn't interested in zen when I was studying with him and he didn't talk about it much). Gary Peacock was a student of his as well. Gary Peacock is one of my main musical inspirations. I'm sad for their loss.

Quite right.

I'm only somewhat familiar with Loori. When I was still in New York, I sat for a while at the Village Zendo. If I recall correctly, Pat Enkyo O'Hara had studied with Loori but split with him a while back, not sure why.

I'm occasionally part of a lay Zen community in the DC area. My caregiving schedule makes it hard for me to be a regular right now, so I mostly sit on my own, which isn't ideal, but it's something.

Once things settle, I'll look at live Zen communities, but also beyond them. There may be the same amount of dysfunction in other lineages (and there certainly was almost as much of it in Judaism, which is where I come from), but I need to prove that to myself.

I'm less than thrilled with the tone of things here, but that could just be me.

I don't think anyone is offended by the word 'dildo'. It's that he called a recently deceased zen teacher a dildo. Like brad keeps thinking people are upset because he says 'fuck' or 'pussy' and other naughty words. No. It's not the words, it's the way they are directed. Same here. The dildo comment would be like someone calling brad's mom some nasty name right after she died. I doubt brad would appreciate it much. (I realize that brad didn't say this, just one of his sycophants.)

Anon@727: Squarehead didn't call anyone a dildo. He just made a particularly bad joke. Daido=Dildo.. Get it? Loori probably heard that jibe all the time but now he's dead. If he had a choice he probably would prefer being referred to as Dildo Loori than being dead.

Here is a koan for you. Is Loori upset about any of this now? Why are you so upset?

Why is it that Brad can write a post full of harsh condemnations, inflamatory words and do a great imitation of seeming angry only to complain that anyone who imagines he's angry is just projecting, that he isn't angry at all.Yet.I can write that calling a dead zen teacher a dildo is tasteless and offensive and you assume I'm 'upset'. You are projecting. I'm not upset, just pointing out the obvious.

Agreed that it would be a mistake to take the comment-section community as a Zen community or PhilBob as a Zen person.

Of course, there's always value in this kind of experience, and part of what it's done for me is to crystallize a question that's been on my mind, but not fully formed. The question is, is there something in American Zen - by which I mean an intense focus on meditation disconnected from its Asian Zen cultural background - is there something in this American Zen that brings out aggression and other like pathologies. Granted that there's no shortage of pathologies in "spiritual" communities, but there seems to be a particular American Zen flavor to it.

If this is so, the reason might be a tendency on the part of practitioners to confuse direction with duality. Let's posit that dualistic thinking is a hindrance. Nevertheless, there's also social value in such distinctions as good/bad, do this or say this/don't do that or say that. Now, if you believe that those distinctions - which might be voiced by a teacher or perhaps by the community - are a form of dualism, then you dismiss them. The result then might be that you fall into a self-indulgent, anything-goes state where you leave the baby face down in the pool of water because the baby in the water has its own suchness. Or you call a just-deceased Zen teacher "dildo" to show you're not subject to conventional categories - and follow it up with a spiel along the lines of "I'm a tough guy because I sit and you're a wuss who can't sit because you object to something I said" - and then flatter yourself that you're expressing a Zen sensibility. To say that you accomodate whatever comes up - then accomodate your sociopathy because that's what came up - seems off, at least to me.

It may be overly conventional of me to suggest that maybe a teacher might step in and provide guidance, at whatever risk of dualism. It's quite clear that that's not how Brad runs the comments section. Perhaps he doesn't regard this as a community to be taught - which might be a good decision. Or perhaps his form of teaching is to let everything arise. To me that's a good theory but not necessarily a best practice, if you'll pardon the mild pun.

I'll note also the inconsistency that Brad seems willing to get quite exercised about, and provide direction concerning, certain things like correct posture, but not about other things, like right speech.

I'm gonna defend Brad's lack of "teaching" the comments section. I love that he doesnt really moderate this comments section at all. I wonder what would happen over at treeleaf if Jundo stopped stepping in and cooling tempers, providing guidance, etc.

It would probably become a madhouse. But maybe there's something to be learned from this.

I think its been said before that this comment section isnt necessarily much different from whats going on in our brains most of the time--a random assortment of thoughts; complaints, insults, wisdom, helpful hints, and sometimes a real direction for some period of time.

Maybe something good can come from the chaos eventually--maybe not.

I've argued in the past that Brad's particular writing style is at least to some degree responsible for stirring up the negativity. He writes controversial, edgy material at times--and i think he does it intentionally to gain attention for his writing.

This has been a lot of mindless babble on my part but luckily, is not much different than the rest of the blather in this comments section...like a nice, hearty crap...

Alan_A said "is there something in American Zen ... that brings out aggression and other like pathologies"

Yes, it is a good question. Could be just the American psyche in general too. Or the anonymity of this kind of place leads to people saying whatever comes to mind... no morality/ethics filters.

Someone posted a link to a San Francisco Zen Center dharma talk about this topic. Though he or she posted it in reference to teacher misconduct, it was about how practice, zazen, the focus we put on "emptiness" in general, can lead to a worsening of deep-seated psychological issues.

Zazen will not cure psychological problems like PhilBob's. Therapy can help him, I hope.

"Although they (Alan Watts & D.T. Suzuki) made it sound right, both were implicitly dead wrong. Zen is not amoral. It is a practice that takes place within a very definite, clear context that is most definitely moral and ethical" / John Daido Loori

Every woman has the gene for the evil eye locked away in her DNA. Wisdom dictates that we be passive and patient and turn our attention away from the material world. I like to think that I'm an "enlightened being" now. What's past, is past. We can't rewrite a single line, much less an entire chapter. Sometimes when I'm angry, I go out there and pull a few weeds as I mumble: " In the world of truth, Nirvana, there is no such thing as sin."

But....but....Rick and Too Much Meditation are genuine blue nonanon real bonafide 100% Grade A inspected bloggers. I thought only us black letter folks were anon. WTF? You mean "Meditation" is not his real last name? OMFG!

Moderating comments, maybe not. But is he a Zen teacher? Then he has an obligation to correct ignorant behavior on HIS blog.

Too Much Ricky,Brad often corrects ignorant behavior on his blog. Post something about correct posture being unnecessary, suggest other schools of buddhism might be as good as zen or how Big Mind is way cool and Brad will usually set you straight in his next post. As far as calling one another names, gross ignorance of buddhism, issuing f#ck you's, or just talking inanities (think Kiss' new crap) that's just considered good zen practice here.

To my knowlege, this blog has always been just like any other blog, Brad talks about whatever he fancies at the time. Sometimes he talks about Kiss' latest album, sometimes he posts an obituary for someone who affected his life (not people who were irrelevant to it, such as the aforementioned Mr Loori), sometimes he blogs about upcoming book tour dates, and sometimes he even talks about Zen. But he has also made it clear that he believes the net is a totally inappropriate medium for the serious practice of Zen. He has never said that he is trying to establish a community, via the net. He always mentions that he sits zazen on most Saturdays at some centre in LA, and that if you also want to practice, then you are welcome to come along. This is where he teaches, this is where he practices. This blog is NOT his forum for teaching, it is his medium for self-promotion, which as a writer, is absolutely necessary, if he wants to get his name out there. If you want to rant about your own perceptions of who Brad is, go ahead, but wouldn't that time be better spent on the zafu, looking at your own messed up selves, isn't that the whole idea? Anyways I notice the increased vitriol being sprayed about by anonymous trolls, since the most recent Warner/Cohen split, which leads me to believe that the increased traffic is coming from treeleaf folks. Which leads me to ask, if Jundo is so nice and wonderful and great, how come SOME of his supporters are a bunch of nasty, rude, arrogant pricks, with nothing better to do than try and punch holes through Brad and those who enjoy what he has to say, whether it is about Zen, Monster flicks, or various charlatans selling enlightenment for a quick buck.OzMAtt

Squarehead isn't the first to fail in an attempt at humour. Noting the similarity between the words Dildo and Daido on the night of loori's death probably wasn't his best idea. But jokes have relied on the the mildly taboo for as long as there have been jokes. Squarehead obviously didn't have the emotional reaction to loori's death that Rick had. They were actually reacting to two different things..

What a pathetic bunch of wanna-be Zen Buddhists you all are. Honestly who gives a shit about KISS and Godzillia? Maybe 14 year olds in 1979. The only thing "Hardcore" about this so called Sangha and its retarded ringmaster is the level of stupidity it sinks to and hides behind calling it Zen or crazy wisdom.

Oh Please! That wasn't nastiness.. That was just a bad joke. Pull yourself together.. there is a difference between a bad joke and reality just as there is a difference between a cyber-sangha and a real sangha. No matter where you be, there you are. Don't let yourself be fooled. The wind is in the pines.. Don't pine after my wind.

Becoming spiritually mindful is the key to understanding our inner self, and correcting those things that cause us to be spiritually discontent. We must deal with our inner self just as we deal with our outer self if we are to be truly well.

Our mind it's self is spirit, which works with the physical brain. We know that emotion is not physical, but is spirit, and we all live according to our emotions, our spirits. If you believe that you have a spirit, then you must understand that the mind is spirit. We physically create our reality with every choice that we make. I wonder if I'll ever give up smoking pot.

Everyone thinks I hate Brad because he was picked to be the head of Dogen Sangha International and I wasn't. That is not true. I dislike Brad because he has never given me credit for having the largest sangha since the Buddha himself.

Think about it. I have had over 28,00 posts to my blog. I have over 400 members in my sangha. Brad can never approach those numbers. I've seen horrors... horrors that he has never seen. But he has no right to think me a loser. He has a right to kill me. He has a right to do that... but he has no right to judge me. It's impossible for words to describe what is necessary to those who do not know what horror means. Horror. Horror has a face... and you must make a friend of horror. Horror and moral terror are your friends. If they are not then they are enemies to be feared. They are truly enemies. And I remember... I... I... I cried. I wept like some grandmother. I wanted to tear my teeth out. I didn't know what I wanted to do. And I want to remember it. I never want to forget it. I never want to forget. And then I realized... like I was shot... like I was shot with a diamond... a diamond bullet right through my forehead. And I thought: My God... the genius of Brad. The genius. The will to do what he does. Perfect, genuine, complete, crystalline, pure. And then I realized he was stronger than me. Because he could stand the monsters on his blog. The strength... to do that.. If I had ten divisions of men like Brad our troubles here would be over very quickly. You have to have men who are moral... and at the same time who are able to utilize their primordial instincts to act without feeling... without passion... without judgment... without judgment. Because it's judgment that defeats us all.

Life is vomit spoiling in a swollen ditch. JESUS & MILAREPA & BUDDHA are playing cards in a lost room on the SOLAR BARQUE and with all of your endless sitting....you are paying wth your hemorrhoids & wet dreams. I KEEP TELLING MYSELF, to take more drugs so i will be more coherent. I'm nothing but a Cut-Rate Whore but hey, what's wrong with a little Zen in the form of a strap-on? I don't follow the fat-bellied Buddha bastard and I mock anybody who does! To those of you who might be concerned for the my state of being.. rest assured, I promise you my mother is a proper Buddhist, and I have periodic nondualistic Zen excretions.

Some people spread the Dharma by offering a good example and saying 'Follow me'. Others spread the Dharma by offering a bad example and saying 'Follow me'. So you get taught by saints and you get taught by arseholes. But you get taught. 'A teacher can open the door to learning but it's you that has to walk through it' as they say. So if a teaching inspires you be inspired and say 'That's what I aspire to be'. And if they sicken you say 'That's what I aspire not to be'. Now let's wait for someone to say something dull like 'Don't aspire' - in an aspiring to be a teacher kind of way...

John Daido Loori was my first teacher from 1986. I found him to be a very caring man who suffered during his death.To read derogatory comments for which I can only assume that these people have never met this man face to face is strange to me.I will gladly provide my name and address to any of you who wants to try that crap eye ball to eye ball.